Plane Truth – Part 2

Two additional, specialized, planes to add to your tool chest –– the Scrub Plane and the Toothing Plane.

The Scrub Plane (Stanley No 40) is used to remove large quantities of wood in a short period of time. Working diagonally or across the grain. It is interesting to note that in the English tradition of woodworking, there does not appear to be such a thing as a scrub plane. The scrub plane has a large mouth and a very curved iron Available here. You can see the effect of using this plan.

The toothing plane is an 18th Century tool with a very high angled, serrated, iron. The angle of the iron can vary anywhere from 65 to near 90 degrees. The coarseness of the teeth can also vary. Here you can see my toothing plane (click on the image to see a closeup of the teeth). In use, the plane does not cut the wood, but rather scores or scratches the surface. The serrated iron ignores grain direction and figure in the wood, allowing the tool to work in any direction. I used this plane to prepare the surface while refinish the veneer on a Card table. Click here to see a close-up of toothing iron.They are quite hard to come by these days and quite expensive – but since they have a very specific job, they are not an essential plane to have.